This invention relates generally to improving data access device performance in a communications system, and more specifically to storage and retrieval of connection data in a communications system.
Connection data relates to the parameters used in establishing a communication session in a communications system. For voiceband communications devices typical parameters include the specific communications protocol used (e.g., ITU-T V.32, ITU-T V.90) and transmission rate (e.g., 28.8 Kbps, 33.6 Kbps). Connection data is both used by, and produced by, data access devices and server communications devices in a communications system. Common data access devices include analog modems, digital subscriber line modems, integrated services digital network modems, cable modems, power line modems and wireless modems.
Currently, any history of connection data must be stored at a server communications device, as data access devices do not provide a facility for connection data storage. Some existing data access devices do store minimal data, but this data is permanently stored (hardwired) in the device and not placed there by a server communications device. An example of permanently stored data on a data access device is the storage of a unique device identifier in data access devices manufactured by Conexant Systems, Inc. of Newport Beach, Calif. This identifier can be accessed by a server communications device, but neither the server communications device, nor the data access device itself can store additional information (e.g., connection data history) on the data access device.